The Orkney Islands

Nestled off the far north coast of Scotland, where the North Sea
meets the Atlantic Ocean, the Orkney Islands are like no other
place in the world. Inhabited for at least 8,500 years and ruled
over by both Norse and Scottish settlers, the islands hold stories
and myths of pirates and battles aplenty. The most evident still
today, rising out of the water at Scapa Flow, are the remnants of
Churchill's sunken warships. To fully appreciate the beauty,
tranquillity and isolation of Orkney, you need to go to Orkney.

There is no other place in the world quite the same as this
small archipelago, huddled between two oceans and steadfast against
the tides. First time visitors will feel a sense of mystery and
otherworldliness when they notice the complete absence of trees.
But the feel of Orkney will sink in instantaneously. It is a sense
of calm only experienced on islands as small and remote of these.
Another fascination for visitors are the so-called 'night-less'
summers. On the longest day of the year the sun rises at 3am and
sets at 9:29pm. And night time is more accurately described as
perpetual twilight, instead of complete darkness. In contrast,
winter nights are long. On the shortest day the sun rises at 9:05am
and sets at 3:16pm.

Orkney consists of around seventy islands, the residents of
Orkney refer to their principle island as 'Mainland', and the
national mainland as 'Scotland'. This demonstrates the pride of
Orcadians in their small community, whose way of life still isn't
totally in sync with the rest of the UK. The islanders welcome
visitors (or 'ferry-loopers' as non-orcadians are called), so train
holidays in Scotland are the perfect opportunity to see these
beautiful, isolated islands.

Arcaibh – Home of the Celtic Nations

In modern Scottish Gaelic the islands are referred to as
'Arcaibh', but the islands have been written about as far back as
300BCE. The islands have been inhabited for thousands of years and
are home to some of the oldest and most important archaeological
sites in the world.

Skara Brae is a Neolithic settlement on the west coast of
Mainland. In 1850, a severe winter storm tore into the Bay of
Skaill to reveal a small settlement. Rumours began of hidden
treasures, and in 1913 the site was raided by treasure hunters. It
is not known what they might have taken away, but it's almost
certain they didn't find treasure. In 1924, another storm caused
damage to the settlement and it was decided that it would be
properly protected from the weather and professionally excavated.
The extent of the settlement was finally revealed, and the work was
followed up by more investigation in the 1970s. The settlement of
Skara Brae dates back to 3180BCE, making it contemporary with the
first and second dynasties in Egypt. Today you can walk through
this ancient collection of houses and get a feel for what life was
like on the islands five thousand years ago. The visitor centre at
Skara Brae houses a wealth of information, and the staff are always
willing to share their enthusiasm with visitors.

The Orkney Islands were the headquarters for Vikings pirate
expeditions. The islands were under Norwegian rule until 1468, when
they were betrothed to King James III of Scotland as part of a
dowry. In the 18th century, during the Jacobite Rising,
Orkney was Jacobite in its sympathies. It was finally retaken by
the British in 1746.

During the 1st and 2nd World Wars, Orkney
was an important Royal Navy base. Remnants of the wars can still be
seen at the Churchill Barriers, where block ships were deliberately
sunk to deter submarine attacks. Today, parts of these scuttled
ships jut mysteriously out of the water and are a magnet for scuba
divers of all abilities.

Orcadian Gastronomy

Under an ancient Norse law, unlike the rest of Great Britain,
swans in the Orkney Islands do not belong to the crown, they are
property of the people. This law was tested in 1910 by a lawyer
from Kirkwall, who shot a swan. The case was taken to the High
Court and the Crown lost. Orcadians do not shoot swans today, but
there is a myriad of other local delights available.

Orkneys local delicacies are numerous, but the two things you
must try, are fresh Orkney scallops and lamb reared on North
Ronaldsay. Orkney scallops are wild, not farmed, and are mostly
hand dived. Due to their quality and size, Orkney scallops are
becoming more and more popular all over the world. Sheep bred on
the small island of North Ronaldsay have a distinctive flavour,
unequalled anywhere in the world. To preserve the inshore
grasslands, the sheep are limited to the outer shores of the
island. Here they feed almost exclusively on seaweed, giving their
meat a distinctive flavour much prized by chefs.

The islands are also famous for their whisky, with its Scapa
distillery winning the accolade of best in the world. Orkney is
home to two distilleries, and they own the title of most northerly
distilleries in the world.

The Orkney Islands really must be experienced to be believed and
train holidays to
Scotland are the perfect opportunity to make the short
trip further north.